


When Solo Became Duet

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-14
Updated: 2012-04-14
Packaged: 2017-11-03 15:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/383207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A happy calm seemed to come over the entire relationship once the decision was made.  Erin was a big fan of happy calm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Solo Became Duet

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don’t know if this is my official fanon, I’m sure the characters will tell me later. But when the first bits of dialogue came into my head I knew I had to write this story. Holy milestones, Batman! This is my 800th Criminal Minds fic. The title is from the Anita Baker song, Perfect Love Affair. She is one of the main songstresses for this pairing.

“I have this feeling in my gut that she's not going to show. Do you think she stood me up? She’s almost 20 minutes late.”

“Have you ever been stood up in this situation before?”

“There was this one time that I wish I was.” Dave replied looking at his watch. Then he pulled his phone from his pocket. There were no texts or voicemails. He pulled his other phone from his hip. It was just as blank.

“Check your phone.” 

“I checked it twice already.” Kirk said as he took it from his pocket.

“Check it again please.”

“There's nothing there.”

“What if this is payback?” Dave asked. “What if for the past four years she's strung me along with this in mind the whole time. She’d make me fall in love with her, we’d go through thick and thin together, and as soon as I was ready to commit my life and soul to her she disappears.”

“Are you serious?” the Deputy Director of the FBI looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Because I want to burst into laughter but I won't do that if you're being serious, Dave.”

“I don’t know what I am. I'm worried, I'm upset, I'm getting angry, I'm…”

“You're an impatient bastard.”

He turned when he heard her voice. Dave wasn’t sure what he was going to say. It could’ve been cheeky, sexy, angry, or somewhere in between. But as soon as he laid eyes on her the ability to speak was out the window. Damn, she was probably the only woman who could do that to him. 

To be sure, David Rossi appreciated beautiful women. They were everywhere and he admired them up close and from afar. His woman was something else altogether though. She was a knockout. In pajamas, in his sweats, or in a designer dress…she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

“Well don’t you have some cheeky response for that one, David?” she asked.

“I think you struck the poor man speechless.” Kirk replied putting his hand on Dave’s shoulder.

“You're late.” His voice came back.

“There are those brilliant profiler skills at work.”

“Erin…”

“We can talk about that later.” She held out her hand. “Are you coming or not?”

He sighed, taking her hand in his. Of course he was coming. Dave still couldn’t believe this was even happening, which was half of the reason he felt as if he’d been stood up. Just a few weeks ago, fresh off a case and preparing for a three day weekend, his whole world was turned upside down. It was in a good way but Dave wasn’t sure how long it was going to take him to recover.

_“I've been thinking about something lately.” She said as she handed him a glass of Australian Shiraz._

_“Thank you, baby. What have you been thinking about?”_

_“I was thinking that it might be interesting if we got married.”_

_Dave was so glad he’d just swallowed the wine but he still sputtered some. That sputter turned into a cough; Erin came around the counter and gently patted his back._

_“Are you alright?”_

_“I thought I just heard you say that we should get married.”_

_“Actually, I said it’d be interesting if we got married.” She clarified._

_“You'd get no argument out of me on that one.”_

_“So you wouldn’t want to do that? I mean you may be right. Things are good the way they are and sometimes when you try to make something into something its not you end up destroying it. I would never want that to happen.”_

_“Erin, I've had a ring in a safe for longer than I care to recall. I don’t think this is about my not wanting to do it.”_

_“So tell me what you're thinking.” Her voice was almost frantic but Erin managed to control herself._

_“Why don’t you tell me what you're thinking, baby.” Dave turned on the stool, pulling her between his open legs and putting his arms around her._

_“I don’t know, I just…it’d be nice wouldn’t it. It would be nice to be Mr. and Mrs. David Rossi. We’re practically married anyway so it’s not as if much would change.”_

_“That doesn’t sound very romantic.” Dave replied raising an eyebrow. “Let’s do it because nothing would change anyway.”_

_“I’d do it because I love you.” Erin said. “I love you and for some people just being together isn’t enough. Being together is amazing but sometimes you just want more.”_

_“I've always been a more kinda guy.” He kissed her._

_“Tell me about it, Agent Rossi.”_

_“It’s more of a show than tell but I'm sure I can think of some things to say that could get us moving in the right direction.”_

_“You're incorrigible.” She grinned._

_“You love it, woman.”_

_“As a matter of fact, I do.”_

“You look amazing.” Dave whispered in her ear as the elevator doors closed and they started moving through the floors. “I don’t think I've ever seen this dress before.”

“Of course you haven’t. The groom isn’t supposed to see the bride before the big moment. Oh c'mon Rossi you’ve done this before…you know that.”

She wore a cream colored dress suit that brushed her knees with a matching long jacket buttoned in the middle. There was a purple rose in her jacket lapel and purple high heels on her feet. Rossi didn’t know what the significance of the purple was but he wasn’t prepared to argue. The shoes were hot. Her hair was up, she wore diamond earrings, a diamond watch, and the light scent of a perfume he believed was called Lovely filled his senses. As the elevator doors opened onto the sixth floor, Dave walked out in a daze.

“Now would be the time to change your mind.” Erin said. She was still holding his hand.

“I was actually about to say the same thing to you.” he replied.

“No one is changing their minds.” Kirk said. “This has been a long time coming.”

“He's such a traditionalist.” She shook her head.

“Move it.” Kirk pointed down the hall to the Justice of the Peace. 

Erin smiled, squeezing Dave’s hand as they walked down the hall. She listened to the sound of her shoes on the linoleum floor. That was better than listening to the sound of her heart thumping in her chest. Nerves were normal, she was sure he was nervous as well. 

They both wanted this though. In the three weeks they had to change their minds, it didn’t happen. A happy calm seemed to come over the entire relationship once the decision was made. Erin was a big fan of happy calm.

“My hand is on the knob.” Dave said. 

“Turn it and open the door, David.”

That was all he needed to hear. She wanted this as much as he did. Erin never told him how she came to this great decision but she did. While Dave was sure she was nervous, possibly even apprehensive, there was an excitement in her that couldn’t be denied. He’d known Erin Strauss a long time…he knew when she was excited. As he opened that door and they walked in with the man who knew the two of them as the two of them the longest, Dave also knew this was the next step in what was an extraordinary journey.

***

“If you get anything on that amazing dress I’ll never forgive myself.” Dave said.

“I can take it to the cleaners. This is the best after wedding dessert I've ever had.”

“Isn't this the first after wedding dessert you’ve had?”

“I think you're missing the point David.”

“Which is?”

“We’re married.” Erin’s smile lit her entire face.

Dave couldn’t even respond; his smile just matched hers. They were married. And after the justice of the peace, Kirk took a few pictures of them on the courthouse steps. He threw some confetti and then had to rush off to a meeting with the Director of Homeland Security. 

Dave and Erin went straight to one of their favorite places, the Georgetown Diner. They ordered a quadruple scoop sundae with all of their favorite toppings. There was marshmallow fluff, extra caramel, wet nuts, whipped cream, and four cherries. It was always a challenge to see if they could finish it. As evening fell in the nation’s capital, they sat ready to face it.

“I’d like to propose a toast.” Dave held up his spoon with a healthy amount of ice cream on it.

“This will have to be quick I think.” Erin held up her spoon as well.

“To a long, healthy, fun, sexy marriage. Let it be filled with joy, challenges, and a lot of love.”

Dave fed Erin his spoon and she did the same. Then she leaned across the table and kissed him.

“I love you, Agent Rossi.” She said.

“I love you too, Agent Rossi. I could definitely get used to saying that.”

“Well…”

“What?” he asked.

“I'm Agent Strauss; I love being Agent Strauss. But I'm definitely Mrs. Rossi.”

“If you like it I love it, baby.”

“Oh yeah.” Erin smiled. “I like it.”

They kept eating their ice cream and enjoying the moment. Soon other people would have to be in on their little secret. Erin hadn't even told her children what was happening. She didn’t think that Dave told his team. It was interesting to think about how everyone would react to their news. 

Would there be shock, surprise? She could think of one person who would probably be angry. Erin didn’t want to think about that though. She’d done what made her happy. From the look on Dave’s face he was happy as well.

“Erin?”

“Hmm?” she ate more ice cream. It really was delicious.

“Why were you so late this afternoon? I honestly thought that you'd changed your mind and just didn’t have the heart to tell me.”

“I was home getting dressed and I just got lost in thought. I thought about us and all we’ve been through, particularly in the past two years. I thought about the uphill climbs and the Sunday brunches. I thought about the first time, and the second first time. 

“I wondered if we were doing the right thing and why we were doing it. I just got wrapped up in all the thoughts, memories, and questions. I didn’t mean to leave you standing there or to have you thinking this wasn’t something I truly wanted. It was my idea after all.”

“I just want you to be happy.” Dave said, reaching over for her hand. “I want you to be happy with me.”

“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Erin replied. “Tell me something.”

“What?”

“Is the fourth time a charm?” she asked.

“Well it’s only been an hour or so but I think the fourth time might be the best time around.” He smiled.

Dave Rossi believed in love. He always had; that was never going to change. His love for this woman was immeasurable. It wouldn’t have mattered to him if she never wanted to become his wife. 

All he wanted was to be with her and be happy. But now that she was he knew that this was ultimately what he wanted. That life commitment meant something…it meant you believed that you wanted to be with this person. They were worth the risk that you both planned to take. And that thought, even when it didn’t work out, was what made it so incredible.

“I don’t even want to think about how many calories I'm consuming right now.” Erin said, bringing Dave out of his thoughts. “Its going to be hours on the treadmill burning them off.”

“I've got something even better than a treadmill, baby.”

“I just bet you do. Do you think you can handle it?”

“I've held up quite well for the past four years.” Dave said. “Let’s see how I do for the rest of our lives.”

What an adventure this was going to be, Erin thought as she had more ice cream. They’d been together for four years and it had only gotten better. Even at their darkest times being with him was what she wanted more than anything. Now they would be together forever, or so the vows went. Erin knew there was no place else she’d rather be. Her second time, and his fourth, was what they'd both been waiting for.

***


End file.
